Muscle manikin with rhinoceros, front

Albinus, the celebrated professor of anatomy and surgery in Leiden, was no doubt the best descriptive anatomist of his day and the pioneer of a new epoch in human anatomy. His monumental atlas in large elephant folio format is one of the most artistic and accurate representation of the human body that has ever been published. The plates were drawn and engraved by Jan Wandelaar (1690-1759). The female Indian rhinoceros Clara, placed as background to the muscle minikin, arrived to Rotterdam in 1741 and was exhibited to the public. She became famous during seventeen years of touring through Europe.